Nice - About Promenades and Cemeteries
- Tobias Heller
- 4. Feb. 2017
- 5 Min. Lesezeit
Finally, after after an unexpected long period, I am on my way to my first french city: Nice. Situated at the Cote D'Azur it seems a adequate starting point for my short excursion along the french coast to Spain. I have to say goodbye to Italy for now, but I got the slight feeling we will meet again anyways. I arrive late at my couch surfing place, being welcomed by a girl called Muso and her flatmate, living in Nice for their Erasmus studies.
Beach & Promenade
Promenade d'Anglais - A walk along the Cote D'Azur
I start the slightly overcast but anyways dry exploration day by walking the long promenade right put to the center, as my accommodation is located in direction of the airport. The coastline makes a wide curve and I can spot the end of the promenade afar, before the coast turns itself inwards again and vanishes out of view. The water indeed deserves the given name, as it is azure blue at the rim, giving it the appearance of glowing from within despite the cloudy day. As I walk, I can't miss to notice heavily armed groups of soldiers patrolling the long walkway, with severe expressions on their faces. A shudder is running down my spine, remembering the terrible events that have occurred here in Nice not long ago, when a fanatic guy killed several people by running them over with a bus. The dark event's aftermaths still seem to cling in the air, holding on tightly, determined to occupy the place for an outstretch of time.
Parc & Sightseeing
Jardin Albert 1er - A fancy Parc
Before going to the main Center, a Park lies in front of me, right next to the coast, so I step into it, finding green spaces with statues and also an old carrousel with children pressing their parents to go on a ride. From afar a big ferris wheel smirks at me while doing it's circling, overlooking a little fair. It's nice to linger around, getting seated on a bench for having a snack, while the lights of the smaller attractions are blinking and swirling in movement.
City Center
Ancient city center & Flower market
The ancient city center, Vieille Ville de Nice, is an actually quite small part of the city, but offers adorable little shops and boulangeries with delicious pastries and sweets, as well as tiny cafes and restaurants. Also located there is the flower market, with the memorable mixture scent of daffodils, roses and tulips which imbues the air. The tramway passes by here as well, connecting the newer part with fashion stores and shopping males with the old center.
Village
Parc de la Colline du Chateau - Uphill is always the best
From the place with the well-known 'I love Nice' sign stairs lead up the little mountain and leading through some pathways in a park. This location offers two perfect views: One in direction of the old town to your feet, with the long promenade leading all the way up to the airport which is visible at the tip of the wide bow the coastal line does, with airplanes frequently taking off or landing in the distance. To the other side, the view is directed right into the old port of Nice with it's numerous yachts and boats anchoring in the rectangular water square, and from here a walk downstairs to the harbor is easily accessible.
Architecture & Curiosities
The Israelite Cemetery - Honoring the Death
While going uphill I cross an israelite cemetery, whose location on such a high situated level I find somehow peculiar, but at the same time stunning as this shelter of the death overlooks and observes the cities living - to an extent a creepy thought to imagine it like that. I have seen impressive cemeteries in Italy, with enormous temple like formations accommodating whole generations of the families, decorated with statues and embellished with ornaments and beautiful flowers, but this one surpasses it. Even though cemeteries are not the most likely places I enjoy visiting, this one captivates by it's assortment of various great sculptures and architectural stone work.
Architecture
Fasades of Nice - How to spend a day taking Pictures
Around the port I can highly suggest a stroll through the neighborhood. I've admired many of the unique facades in Italy, mainly old and rundown with a filthy appearance that came up with the years to come, color peeling off the window shutters as well as from the houses themselves - if not for complete chunks going amiss. The facades here are different, yet similarly captivating. The houses seem to be maintained continuously, the colorful paint appears fresh and vivid and a certain continuity and adherence of harmonic building rules seems to have been followed as a clean line in the architecture is to be spotted. Overall I enjoy walking around here, capturing the numerous varying fronts.
Harbor
The old Port - Lovely sight, heavy boats
Strolling down from Parc de la Colline, the harbor lies directly in front of me, a huge red crane, apparently unused today, sits there sticking out placed from an underneath concrete platform. A long tongue with a large wall leads deep into the sea, which purpose I assume to be of protectional reasons, once the sea gets rough and sends waves crashing into the harbor. I follow the long strip outwards, large stone cubes are placed alongside the promenade in order to break the water's power end prevent the harbor and it's precious yachts and ships from being flooded. The boats anchoring here are indeed of an immense value, the flawless high-polish gloss paint shimmering from out of the water, several men occupied with maintaining works and cleaning.
Museum & Architecture
Musee d'Arte Moderne - A strange Building
Uninformed as I am most of the time, as I like the surprise once you turn around the corner, encountering something you would have never expected just right here. And it so happens that suddenly in my field of view a strange object is placed - though this is not an object but it is moreover an objectified architectural creation. If you see it on a picture, you might think it is merely a bust close-up with several buildings far off in that background, but no it indeed is a building itself. This seems to be a modern interpretation of a bust, with the bottom part portraying a severed head of a male person but passing over above the lower lips into a huge cubic shape. The whole building is situated in a little park, being the highlight of the open square.
Churches & Architecture
Basilique Notre-Dame de l'Assomption
If you happen to arrive at one of the main shopping roads, with numerous huge fashion chains, fast food restaurants and people buzzing around busily and loaded with shopping bags you will find a church with a modern appearance in the middle of the Avenue Jean Medecin. The church looks very accurately constructed and does not have the appearance to be one of the oldest ancient churches As a lover of symmetry and clean simplicity, though with a strong and dynamic touch I like this church a lot, also the interior is worth to have a look at.
Nightlife & Sightseeing
Nice at Night - Another Perspective
As long as you are in Nice, don't miss to go outside once the sun has set. You may be tired from a long walk around, but it is highly recommended, as the city is lit up with spot-lights, patterns and differently colored light sources, which makes strolling around a nice undertaking. Along the beach promenade you can see the respectively other side of the long walkway, with lights shining brighlty along the whole coastline, illuminating the night strollers, runners and couples as well as the water surface that softly sweeps onto the beach's outstretches.
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